Great Mother Eraah

Within us and everything is the energy of life that Eraah embodies. Her soles are the earth, her toes are the roots of every tree, in one hand is a twisted branch from the tree of life itself, her cloak is the sky and its shadow is adorned with the stars. Her face is the night sky, the sun and moon her eyes. The crashing waves are the curl of her hair and the winds are whispers of her incantations. Her heart is the source of all magic.

Natural Influence

Most residents of the civilized world of Balfadore believe in Mother Eraah, but often only adapt certain superstitions to protect their land or improve their crops in the form of simple offerings or libations. It is believed that Eraah is the source of all magic in the world and all mages and students of magic have come to respect Eraah for this as at least partialy true. Even the most pious worshipers of New Gods respect her proven influence over all life in the world when seasons change and harvest time comes.

Mother of Creation

The legend of Eraah's origin is older than any other in Balfadore. It is believed by some that she is the creator of the world itself, her life force sustaining all that lives on this material plane.
Generally, the legend tells of a chaotic plane in which Eraah was born and trapped. She was made to create creatures and worlds endlessly and without regard to the immense toll it took on her mind.
Through a series of clever tricks, she was able to create a portal to escape the chaos realm. To hide from her former captors, she entombed herself in the world now known as Balfadore and her energy has been sustaining life and magic in the realm ever since.
Dominion: Nature, Seasons, Weather, Magic
Description: She is usually portrayed in statues and symbols as a cloaked woman with four arms; two embracing a symbol of the world or other astral body, and the others wrapping her cloak around her to protect it.

Core Beliefs

The use of light magic requires one to channel Eraah's energy.

All life is sacred to Eraah and corruption of that life is a blight on the world.

Eraah's blessing makes the natural world thrive; without her, crops wither, storms arise, and chaos reigns.

### Eraah's Influence Most followers of Eraah are Good aligned and value nature for all of its beauty, bounty, purity, and resilience. Druids are most often believers in Eraah as the main deity with dominion over nature and all lifeforms. That is not to say they are worshipers as many of them know that Eraah asks for no praise or prayer, only respect and care.
#### Symbols of Faith Common symbols of Eraah include the Twisted Oak sigil, sometimes carved in stones on trails to ward against pitfalls, Moss Agate stones used in jewelry and trinkets, and filigree embellishments which contain prayers in Elvish asking for Eraah's protection and guidance.
#### Sacred Rites It is not uncommon for villagers in remote settlements to devise daily or monthly rituals and offerings to draw Eraah's eyes to bless their crops or shield them from harsh winters.
These rituals include sacrificing livestock and leaving the remains in the forest to feed Eraah's blessed creatures; tying stones and bones of sacrificial animals to tree branches, which make noise as the wind blows past them; keeping a single branche from an older, felled tree atop the door to one's home or over the hearth to memorialize it, sometimes wittled into an Eraah or sigil motif.
## Mortal Avatar
According to the old legends, Eraah always has a mortal being to represent her on the material plane. This being is said to be chosen by Eraah at birthm and great care is taken to identify and recognize the signs which allude to their selection. Many ancient texts detail rites and divination rituals which have been used to presage Eraah's avatar in the past.
Some examples include floating a child on a wreath of flowers and twigs in a tranquil lake, noting the direction which the infant faces and if the flowers appear to bloom. Another calls for a sage or druid dedicated to Eraah to carry the child to a mountaintop before dawn on a specific day of the year, noting the color of the baby's eyes when the light of the sun first touches their face. Other rituals are more complicated and require a great deal of magical influence to accomplish, and a few even place the child's life in danger, emblematic of darker, chaotic times in Balfadore's history.
<div class='descriptive'> ##### The Gift of Life To those who honor Eraah, the most sacred gift she bestows is life itself. Wasting the life gift is considered an afront to Eraah. Hunters, druids, and farmers go to great lengths to avoid wasting the remains of both plants and animals they harvest or hunt. To outsiders, it can be seen as morbid when Eraah-folk adorn themselves with bones and pelts.The faithful often utilize organic materials that others would easily discard.
Additionally, nurturing life is seen as a holy pursuit. Those who, grow healing herbs, and raise animals as kin are always regarded with high respect. </div>


> ##### Eraah-Fir, The Life Guardian > Eraah's avatar, referred to as Eraah-Fir (or "Mortal Mother") is the chosen protector of all fragile life in the material plane. For this reason, they are often called to temples and shrines throughout the realm where their assitance is necessary. > > This unending pilgrimage means that many travelers may encounter Eraah-fir without ever know it. They may have an encounter with a helpful druid or witness a heroic ranger dispatching undead to protect a small village. In many cases, this is the Eraah-fir answering the call of prayers left at the local shrine to the Great Mother. > > Although it may seem unfortunate to an outsider, the Eraah-fir journey can only end in death. Although granted an unaging body, they are still very much mortal. As with all mortals, they are imperfect and are in a constant state of introspection, seeking knowledge, understanding, and a mutually respectful relationship with nature. > >When their guidance is sought, Eraah-fir often speaks in riddles that sit in the minds of humble townsfolk for the rest of their lives. Some of these have become prayers and can be found etched into stones and shrines thoughout the realm.